A time machine to the San Francisco of yore
Glen Canyon Park is an out-of-the-way park you won’t find in traditional guidebooks. In fact, if you happen to ask a local about it, they’re likely to say, “Oh yes, I forgot about that.” And they may even add, “I wish everyone else did too.”
Located in a neighborhood below Twin Peaks, the park’s entrance leads to a recreation center that includes courts and playing fields. Beyond that, a seventy-acre “wilderness” begins: the ground rises, sometimes sharply; eucalyptus groves gradually trail off, and a series of paths winds along a creek through the scrub to the north. The canyon sides are steep—not dangerous, but steep. Rock climbers practice “bouldering” here. It’s a pleasant walk, although some might consider it more of a gentle hike. Even for semi-serious runners, a jog here is demanding.
Info
Address Elk Street & Cheney Street, San Francisco, CA, 94127, www.sfrecpark.org/venue/glen-canyon-park | Public Transport Bus: 44 (O’Shaughnessy Blvd & Del Vale Ave stop) | Tip The Glen Park "village" around Cheney and Diamond Streets has a suburban vibe with some restaurants, a bar, a market, and a library.
You can reach the trails at various points, including from the recreation center, although parking is sometimes difficult, particularly on Saturdays when small children run about for soccer practice. Otherwise, you can drive up to the Diamond Heights Shopping Center and work your way down into the canyon.
The park is a natural time machine: Unlike Golden Gate Park, Glen Park Canyon is raw and very much the way the city looked in the late nineteenth century. And there are regulations to keep it that way, including stringent leash laws for dogs. Which is good, if you’re not a dog owner, because there’s a healthy amount of wildlife to observe, including red-tailed hawks, great-horned owls, alligator lizards, and coyotes. You’ll see many signs warning you of their presence and suggesting you make a lot of noise if the animals get within fifty feet. They rarely do. When you do see them, it’s mostly in the early morning or evening. Inevitably it’s an unexpected encounter, but once eye contact is made, you’ll find they’re quickly off to their next appointment.
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